It will be quite some time before the proposed Hurashi and Chupervita open cast mine projects, an extension of the Rajmahal Coalfield Project, finally see the light of the day as the administration has not been able to acquire land for railway lines.

According to sources in Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) that has undertaken the Rajmahal Coalfield Project, the state had completed survey work of the merry-go-round (MGR) railway lines, required to ferry coal, at Hurashi in 2005. The line will connect Hurashi with Debri cabin of Lalmatiya-Farakka MGR line. A no-objection certificate was also obtained from the forest department as a portion of the land lies in the forest and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Farakka, was assigned the task to construct the 10km stretch.

"We have already deposited an amount with the land acquisition department, Godda, for giving compensations to the displaced. But the officials concerned have not taken any efforts to complete the process of acquiring land," an officials at the NTPC, Farakka, said. "In the first phase, 263 jobs have been approved for the displaced," he added.

Similar initiatives had been taken by the NTPC for laying MGR line at Chupervita open cast project on the border of Godda-Pakur, located 75km from the Rajmahal project.

The 26km MGR line will be connected to Lalmatiya-Farakka MGR line at Barhet level crossing (Sahebganj). It will pass via Sonazori, Harodehi, Gopaldehi, Tiotola, Jhabri, Karantola, Gilha, Chucchi, Kusma, Metor, Mukki, Rajapani, Barapuro (Godda), Jabardaha, Baradham, Chotapuro, Mekomudhubi, Garidehi, Piparjoria, Pokharia and Karasol's loading point.

Sources said all necessary documents for land acquisition had been handed over to Godda and Sahebganj district administrations. "Due to some technical problems, the administrations are yet to complete the formalities. As a result, the project has been delayed," a source said.

Director of Coal India P.K. Banerjee, who visited the project sites on June 9, said he had received complaints from NTPC officials about the laggard pace of work. "Coal India is trying its best to get the two important projects started at the earliest. The ECL has already prepared the blueprints of rehabilitation packages that will usher in development in the area. I will take up the matter with the higher state officials to expedite work on the MGR lines," he said.

Telegraph / June 19, 2009

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Centre's ambitious project to connect the rural interiors with the state's roads, has failed to take off successfully in the Santhal Pargana districts — evident from an analysis of the past two years.

In the 2007-08 fiscal, the rural works department, the nodal agency assigned for the project, managed to complete only seven out of the 87 sanctioned roads, for which Rs 100 crore had been approved.

The state had approved Rs 100.45 core for the construction of 343.44-km of roads in Santhal Pargana. Of that, only Rs 29.28 crore was spent during 2007-08. Result: Eighty incomplete roads.

The situation was similar in the next financial year, 2008-09. Under PMGSY, 111 new projects were sanctioned and Rs 84.09 crore released. However, only five new roads were completed at a cost of Rs 12.25 crore.

During 2007-08, the construction of new roads was also not completed in Dumka, Sahebganj and Pakur districts. In Dumka, 12 new roads, stretching over 65.36-km, were scheduled to be completed. Out of the sanctioned Rs 21.18 crore, the rural works department spent only 5.85 crore.

In Deoghar, during 2007-08, only four the 39 sanctioned road projects were completed. Out of the sanctioned Rs 30.67 crore, the district managed to spend Rs 4.23 crore. In 2008-09, out of 35 sanctioned roads, only two were completed at Deoghar.

Similarly during 2007-08, only one road under this project was completed at Jamtara and two were completed in Godda. During 2008-09, Rs 10 crore was sanctioned for Godda. In 2007-08, out of a sanctioned Rs 27.06 core, Godda managed to spend only Rs 2.14 crore for completing two roads under the PMGSY.

The 2008-09 fiscal witnessed no improvement. As the officials concerned remained busy in publishing tenders and completing the formalities related to the tender process.

Not a single officer in the rural works department was available for comment on the cause of such delay or non-execution of the works for the roads under PMGSY.

Divisional commissioner of Santhal Pargana Sahazanand Sharma was also not available for his comment but sources from his office said that he recently expressed his deep concern over the delay of construction of the roads under the project.

Telegraph / June 9, 2009

Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) today signed an MoU with the state for managing the affairs of the upcoming Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Godda district of Santhal Pargana.

Godda ITI is situated in Godda-Bhagalpur road, around 5km from the town. This would be the second such MoU signed within a week. On June 5, Tata Steel had signed a similar MoU with the state for newly built Tamar ITI.

According to the agreement, the state will provide the land and building whereas JSPL is supposed to arrange for equipment, machinery, instructors besides managing the administrative affairs. At present, courses to be offered at ITI, number of seats have not been decided but 25 per cent of the seats in the institute will be filled up through a test conducted by the state while the rest (75 per cent) will be filled up by JSPL. The steel plant will have the responsibility to spend running costs and getting affiliation from bodies like National Council of Vocational Training and its state counterpart.

Today at Nepal House in the state secretariat, the MoU was signed between director of state labour, employment & training department Kapildeo Tiwary and JSPL's head (strategic HR) S.P. Sahni. The company's director of HR K.K. Sinha and development commissioner S.K. Choudhary were also present.

JSPL's assistant vice-president Avijit Ghosh said they would start the session from February 2010. "Our effort is to enhance the skill of local youths of Santhal Pargana and of the state," he said.

June 10, 2009 / telegraph